This week several journalists will appear before judges. Below is a list of this week’s journalism and free speech trials:
January 14, Monday
- Gün Printing House employees will be on trial at İstanbul 26. High Criminal Court, on ‘spreading terrorist propaganda’, ‘membership in a terrorist organization’ and ‘committing a crime on behalf of a terrorist organization without being a member’ charges.
January 16, Wednesday
- Hearing of the now-shuttered Dicle News Agency (DİHA) journalists Ömer Çelik, Çağdaş Kaplan, Hamza Gündüz, Selman Çiçek, Vahap Taş, İnan Kızılkaya and Kemal Sancılı will be held at Diyarbakır 9. High Criminal Court. Journalists are accused of ‘terrorist propaganda’ and ‘targeting those who participated in anti-terror operations’ based on a news article titled "Name of the siege: Flag 12, Person in charge: Musa Çitil”, which is presented as criminal evidence in the indictment for targeting an individual.
January 17, Thursday
- Hearing of Filiz Koçali, Aslı Erdoğan, Necmiye Alpay, Ragıp Zarakolu, Zana Bilir Kaya, İnan Kızılkaya, Eren Keskin, Kemal Sancılı and Bilge Aykut, known as the Özgür Gündem Main Trial will be held at 9:45 AM at İstanbul 23. High Criminal Court.
- Journalist-Columnist İshak Karakaş will be on trial at 09:50 at the İstanbul 28. High Criminal Court. Karakaş is accused of ‘spreading terrorist propaganda’ due to his social media posts criticizing the Turkish Army’s military operation in Syria’s Afrin.
- Hearing of jailed journalist Ziya Ataman, defended by Media and Law Studies Association, will be on trial at Şırnak 1. High Criminal Court at 09:15 AM.
January 18, Friday
- Democratic Modernity journal editor Haydar Ergül and 14 others will be on trial at İstanbul 22. High Criminal Court on ‘membership in a terrorist organization’ charges.
- Sözcü daily journalists and executives Emin Çölaşan, Necati Doğru, Metin Yılmaz, Mustafa Çetin, and Yücel Arı will be on trial at İstanbul 37. High Criminal Court on "aiding and abetting a terrorist organization without being a member" charges.
